I recently learned that my son or daughter has a developmental disability. What do I do now?

Just do the best you can. Learning that your child has a developmental disability can be hard, and don’t be surprised if some of the emotions you feel aren’t very helpful. Disappointment, fear, anger, frustration, guilt and sadness are pretty common. A good support group can help you work through these feelings, and it helps to get direction from people who have spent many years walking the same road you are just starting. Then take it one day at a time.

For many years, having a child with a developmental disability was seen as a terrible tragedy for a family. While it’s entirely normal to experience mixed feelings at this news, many parents have discovered their experience raising a son or daughter with special needs to be uniquely rewarding. That doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy, but it’s not the end of the world either. Try to embrace the new and valuable perspective that this experience will give you and your family.